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North and South Korea exchange gunfire, police find human remains believed to be those of missing student Hannah Graham, and more.

1. North Korea and South Korea trade gunfire
North Korean and South Korean soldiers briefly exchanged gunfire on Sunday across the heavily-fortified border between the two nations. It was the second such shootout between the two sides in the past 10 days. The incident began when about 10 North Korean troops approached the boundary line between the two nations and disregarded warnings to turn back. Troops from the South then fired warning shots, leading to a 10-minute volley of gunfire that did not result in any reported casualties or injuries. [The Associated Press, Reuters]

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2. Human remains believed to belong to missing Virginia woman found
Investigators searching for a missing University of Virginia student uncovered what they believe to be her remains. Police on Saturday said they’d found remains near Charlottesville, Virginia, and that a medical examiner would soon test whether they did indeed belong to 18-year-old Hannah Graham, who went missing last month. Police have charged Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr. in Graham’s disappearance, and linked him to the disappearance of another Virginia woman in 2009. [The New York Times]

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3. Violent clashes continue in Hong Kong
Police on Sunday squared off with pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong for a second-straight day ahead of planned talks to deescalate the tense situation there. Thousands of demonstrators recaptured streets over the weekend after being pushed out from their encampments on Friday, resulting in dozens of injuries and at least four arrests, according to police. The government and demonstration leaders are scheduled to hold talks Tuesday, though China insists it will not soften restrictions it placed on the 2017 election to name Hong Kong’s new chief executive. [The New York Times, Reuters]

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4. Bishops nix proposal to welcome gay Catholics
A historic proposal for the Vatican to soften its stance toward gays failed to make it into a final report on the direction of the Catholic Church. A draft report from the synod said gays “must be welcomed with respect and sensitivity,” though it failed to receive backing from at least two-thirds of the bishops in attendance. The Vatican said the language could still be discussed at a meeting of bishops next October. [The Guardian, The Associated Press]

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5. Germany blames pro-Russian rebels for MH17 downing
Germany has concluded that pro-Russian separatists mistakenly brought down a commercial airliner over Ukraine in July, making it the first European nation to explicitly blame the rebels. Gerhard Schindler, president of Germany’s BND intelligence agency, said in a closed-door meeting earlier this month that rebels struck Malaysia Airline flight MH17 with a Russian Buk missile, according to Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine. “It was pro-Russian separatists,” he said. [Reuters]

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6. Health worker on cruise ship cleared in Ebola scare
A nautical Ebola nightmare is over after officials cleared a health care worker linked to the virus who had been quarantined aboard a luxury cruise ship. The unidentified woman works at the Dallas hospital where patient Thomas Eric Duncan died of Ebola earlier this month, and it was feared she may have contracted the virus, too. The woman sequestered herself onboard until the ship returned to Texas Sunday, at which point a blood sample revealed she was not infected. [CNN]

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7. New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival descends into chaos
Police in riot gear used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse thousands of people who ran amok Saturday at the annual Pumpkin Festival in Keene, New Hampshire. Police said a large crowd composed mainly of students tore up street signs, threw bottles, and flipped at least one car at parties held in conjunction with the event, which attracts tourists from all over the region. “There were about 4,000 kids in this backyard, and it almost felt like a war zone,” Ellery Murray, a Keene State student, told The Boston Globe. [The Boston Globe]

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8. Russian tennis official suspended for remarks about Williams sisters
The Women’s Tennis Association has fined and suspended Shamil Tarpischev, the head of the Russian Tennis Association, for disparaging remarks he made about Venus and Serena Williams. Last week, Tarpischev referred to the two tennis stars as the “Williams brothers” and said they were “frightening.” In response, the WTA hit Tarpischev with a maximum $25,000 fine and suspended him for one year. In a statement Serena supported the punishment, calling the remarks “sexist as well as racist.” [ESPN]

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9. Endangered white rhino dies
An extremely rare northern white rhinoceros died Friday at a wildlife conservancy in Kenya, leaving only six of the animals alive in the world. Poachers have driven the species nearly to extinction, and the 34-year-old Suni was one of only two breeding males left. “The species now stands at the brink of complete extinction, a sorry testament to the greed of the human race,” the Ol Pejeta Conservancy said in a statement. [The Guardian]

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10. American Idol alum dead at 32
Joanne Borgella, a former American Idol contestant who went public with her battle against cancer, has died. She was 32 years old. Borgella was one of the final 24 contestants on the reality TV show’s seventh season, and she regularly updated fans on social media about her treatment for endometrial cancer. [People]

Judges rule Virginia’s gay marriage ban is unconstitutional, the U.S. and Europe tighten sanctions against Russia, and more

1. Court rules overturns Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban
A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional because barring gay couples from marrying amounted to a new form of “segregation.” The 2-to-1 decision, upholding a lower court ruling, extended a winning streak for gay marriage advocates in court. After the decision, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) said his state would end its “vigorous” defense of a similar ban. [The Washington Post]

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2. Washington and Europe tighten Russia sanctions
The U.S. and the European Union agreed to intensify sanctions against Russia for allegedly returning troops to the Ukraine border and sending heavy weapons to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The E.U. had been resisting tougher sanctions, but in the aftermath of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine, European leaders have rallied behind measures more severe than Washington’s. [The New York Times]

4. U.S. accuses Russia of violating missile treaty
The Obama administration on Monday accused Russia of violating a 1987 arms control treaty by testing a cruise missile. The State Department said it had attempted to talk to Moscow about the issue for more than a year. Under the treaty, Russia is not supposed to possess or test missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers. Moscow said it dismissed the charge after an investigation. [CNN]

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5. Three law enforcement officers wounded in shootout with accused pedophile
Two federal marshals and a New York City detective were wounded Monday in a shootout with a fugitive child molestation suspect in New York’s Greenwich Village neighborhood. The suspect, Charles Mozdir, died after being shot seven or eight times. Mozdir, 32, had been on the run for two years since a family friend accused him of molesting her son. Mozdir’s girlfriend reported him after seeing the case featured Sunday on John Walsh’s show The Hunt on CNN. [New York Post]

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6. Israel steps up strikes in Gaza
Israel hit Gaza overnight with the heaviest bombing of the three-week conflict. Israel targeted more than 70 sites, including government offices and other symbols of Hamas’ power. Israel also reportedly shelled Gaza’s only power plant, shutting it down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a “prolonged” fight, and a Hamas leader whose house was hit said the strikes would not break Palestinians’ determination. [ABC News]

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7. Texas man charged with sending envelopes with harmless white powder
A Rowlett, Texas, man was accused on Monday of sending more than 500 letters containing white powder to government offices, schools, and other locations since December 2008. The suspect — Hong Minh Truong, 66 — was charged with false information and hoaxes. One batch of the mailings included a letter stating, “Al Qaeda back! Special thing for you. What the hell where are you Scooby Doo.” [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]

9. Dollar Tree buys Family Dollar for $8.5 billion
Dollar Tree announced Monday that it was buying rival discount retailer Family Dollar for $8.5 billion. The surprising move came three months after Family Dollar announced that it would close 370 stores and slash prices following the latest in a series of disappointing earnings reports. Billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn had pushed for the merger of the No. 2 and No. 3 discounters, calling it “a big win” for Family Dollar shareholders. [The Washington Post]

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10. Bad timing killed the dinosaurs
What really wiped out the dinosaurs was a run of terrible luck, according to a new study published in Biological Reviews journal. The dinosaurs might have survived the impact of a six-mile-wide asteroid that paleontologists believe was the biggest factor in their demise if big plant eaters — prey for big carnivores — hadn’t just entered a period of decline. “If the asteroid hit five million years later or earlier, the dinosaurs might still be around,” one of the researchers said. [National Geographic]

“So if ‘no guns are allowed’ I guess that means that police officers that are ‘on duty’ aren’t allowed in for lunch or dinner??” asked Facebook user Connie Hollar Wright on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “Who are you guys callin [sic] when you need help???? Good luck with that!”

“Toby is a gun hating liberal. What a fake,” wrote another.

“Won’t go into a Killing zone,” said another commenter with a “Duck Dynasty” avatar, “which is what gun free zones are.”

The restaurant — called I Love This Bar and Grill — opened in Woodbridge, Virginia this week. The state has an open carry law, which allows citizens to openly carry firearms without a license. Businesses, however, reserve the right to ask patrons not to bring their guns inside.

Not everyone disagrees with the rule.

“I think it’s a good thing no guns are permitted in a restaurant,” said Jean Sutts of Woodbridge to WTOP.

Mike Miskin of Suffolk agreed that “alcohol and guns do not mix. I believe that you should be allowed to carry your gun with you but not into a bar.”

A post at right-wing website Breitbart.com protested that, “(o)ne of Toby Keith’s biggest country video hits is ‘Bullets in the Gun.’ It romanticizes carrying a gun.”

Keith has been politically outspoken on a number of topics, but in fact bills himself as a conservative Democrat. He supported President George W. Bush when rival act the Dixie Chicks criticized Bush at the outset of the War in Iraq.

A fan wears a paper bag on his head during the Detroit Lions-New Orleans Saints NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008. New Orleans won 42-7 to drop Detroit to 0-15. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Meanwhile, in the other governor’s race held that day, state Sen. Barbara Buono (D) blamed her loss on an “onlslaught of betrayal” from her own political party.

But these two are hardly the first to take losing so hard. Here’s a look at some other notable sore-loser moments in recent political history.

Did we miss any? The comments section awaits, and we may re-visit this if Fix readers come up with a bunch of good ideas.

Steve Lonegan

As the GOP New Jersey Senate candidate conceded to Cory Booker in last month’s special election, his wife lovingly rubbed his back to comfort him. After she did it for a while, he decided that was enough, and promptly brushed her hand aside. No word on whether he slept on the couch that night.

Joe Lieberman

Lieberman, in his 2006 reelection campaign, lost the Democratic primary but, through a quirk in election law, was allowed to file as a third-party candidate under the newly created “Connecticut for Lieberman” party. Other states have laws that prevent such maneuvering, not coincidentally called “sore loser” laws.

Lieberman, of course, went on to retain his seat, so it’s hard to call him a “loser” at all.

Of course, many Democrats still think they were robbed and that Gore was right to pursue the matter to the full extent of the law.

Bill Bolling

The Virginia lieutenant governor was none-too-happy that Cuccinelli decided to run for governor this year, believing it was his turn to grab the Republican nomination (after being leapfrogged by Bob McDonnell in 2009). And given the state party chose to nominate via convention rather than primary, the more moderate Bolling saw the writing on the wall.

Bolling said Cuccinelli had promised him he wouldn’t run and had manipulated the state party’s decision to use a convention. He also questioned Cuccinelli’s electability, praised McAuliffe’s work on a bipartisan transportation bill and publicly weighed an independent campaign that Republicans feared would torpedo Cuccinelli’s changes in the general election. He eventually opted against it.

Bill Clinton

After Barack Obama won the South Carolina primary in 2008, former president Bill Clinton appeared to try and downplay the victory by noting that Jesse Jackson had carried the state twice in the 1980s. The comment was roundly criticized as racially insensitive and for being dismissive of Jackson.

Anthony Weiner

After his embarrassing loss in this year’s New York mayoral primary, the former congressman exited with a one-finger salute to photographers snapping pictures of him in his car exiting his election night party.

Maotan Dalimbang Kasim

A candidate for chairman of a remote village in Maguindanao (Philippines) who was defeated in the barangay (village) elections last October 28 and his followers burned down a daycare center in their community on Monday night, the military said.

Captain Antonio Bulao, spokesperson of 602nd Brigade, said Maotan Dalimbang Kasim, who lost in his bid for the chairmanship of Barangay Nabundas in the Municipality of Datu Montawal, and his brother Tatoh led an undetermined number of followers in setting the center on fire.

Ken Cuccinelli’s gubernatorial implosion may be distracting pundits, but E.W. Jackson’s risible candidacy for lieutenant governor is an even bigger embarrassment for the state party.

Right now, all the attention in the Virginia gubernatorial race is focused on Ken Cuccinelli’s losing campaign and Mark Obenshain’s competitive race for attorney general. The other statewide race, between state Sen. Ralph Northam and Bishop E.W. Jackson for lieutenant governor, has gone off the radar, and for good reason. There’s no question that the far-right candidate will lose in a landslide. Jackson’s not a candidate as much as he is a sideshow, an example of the base-driven politics that has crippled Virginia’s Republican Party in the general election.

To wit, here’s a short round-up of Jackson’s statements and positions in just the last week of the campaign. On guns, Jackson says, “Every person who has a concealed weapons permit and was trained to use a firearm…should be allowed to bring that firearm to school.” On rights for gay and lesbian Americans, he says, “How in the world can we expect our military to be blessed by the hand of almighty God if we allow our military to become the equivalent of Sodom and Gomorrah? God is not pleased.” On the right-wing grassroots, he says, “It was God’s plan to beget the Tea Party.” And on the question of education, he says Obama will “force schools to start teaching all children homosexuality.”Cuccinelli has worked hard to avoid any association with Jackson; of all the events the attorney general held over the weekend, none featured the conservative clergyman and anti-gay activist. The irony, of course, is that Jackson’s candidacy is the direct result of Cuccinelli’s decision to push for a convention as opposed to a primary. Given his strong support among rank-and-file Republicans, odds are good that Cuccinelli would have won a primary for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. And he would have walked away from the contest with a sensible nominee; Jackson, as his sparsely attended events and low fundraising attest, is a niche product for a handful of voters. In a fair election against a capable opponent, he would have fallen far short of victory. As it stands, Jackson is now one of the faces of the Virginia GOP, and his presence on the ticket has been an unmitigated disaster.

Like Cain or West, Jackson’s career—and income—is earned with outrageous statements about government, Obama, and other African-Americans.

After Jackson won the nomination, he wrote a bit about his place in the universe of “black conservatives,” a category distinct from African-Americans who hold conservative views. Like Georgia businessman Herman Cain or former Florida congressman Allen West, Jackson’s career—and income—is earned with outrageous statements about government, President Obama, and other African-Americans. Here’s Jackson explaining how programs like Medicare and Medicaid are to blame for the deterioration of black families: “[T]he programs that began in the ’60s, the programs that began to tell women that ‘you don’t need a man in the home, the government will take care of you,’ and began to tell men, ‘you don’t need to be in the home, the government will take care of this woman and take care of these children.’ That’s when the black family began to deteriorate.” Such beliefs are similar to West’s insistence, for instance, that African-Americans are chained to the “Democratic plantation.”

An honest look at these figures will tell you that they’re grifters. They can’t succeed in politics, but—for a fee—they can tell you want you to hear about the world. And who are the voters who want to give their money and attention to charlatans like Jackson and West? Right-wing conservatives who desperately want validation that they aren’t racist and that their views are acceptable to African-Americans as is.

That isn’t true. But as long as there’s money is in it, there will be some Professional Black Conservative who shows up to tell the Tea Party exactly what it wants to hear.